Repeating fuse switch



Dem E39 E927.

L.. E. GREEN REPEATING FUSE SWITCH Filed Jan. 20, 1925 Patented Een. 13, 1927.

Partnr OFFICE.'

LEE B. GREEN, F LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNKOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CONRAD B. KRASE,

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

REPEATING- FUSE SXVITGI-I.

Application filed `January 20,1192'5. Serial No. 3,577.

This invention relates to fuse boxes for electrical circuits and more particularly to a type of fuse box in which a plurality of fuses are carried, so as to make it convenient to quickly replace fuses that have blown,

It is one yof the objects ofthe invention to provide a fuse box, of the type referred to, in which there are two separate chambers, one for the unused fuses and the lother for the fuse that is being used so that when the latter is blown there will be no liability tor the heat or are to damage the unused fuses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fuse box, of the type referred to, in

which the unused fuses may be quickly and conveniently transferred to the fuse contacts and in which there is a signal device for ndicat-ing the presence ot a fuse in the contacts, or the absence ot a fuse therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fuse box, of the type referred to. that may be economically manufactured and will be of such simple construction, that there is little or no liability for it to get ont of order.

Other objects of the invention and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ot a fuse box embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line.

3--3 of Fig. 1;

5 Fig. Il is a longitudinal section on the line 1n-4t of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a magazine: and

Fig. 6 is a tacts.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a. casing, preferably of a rectangular form and made from molded insulation material. One side of the casing 10 is open and is provided L with a cover 11, which'is secured in position by the screws 12.r The rear wall 13. of the casing, is provided with an opening 14 which serves as a bearing for the journal 15 of the rotatable barrel or member 16. The cover 11 has an opening'V 17 which serves as a bearing for journai sn the member this perspective view of the fuse perspective view of the conjournal projecting beyond the cover 11 and having secured on the end thereof a knob 19. The end ot the journal 18 has a boss 2U and this boss has the flattened sides 21. The boss 20 projects into a correspondingly shaped recess 22, in the knob 19, to prevent the knob from turning relatively to the member 16. The knob 19 is secured in position on the journal 18 by means ot the screw 23.

A terminal bar 211 is secured in a suitable recess in the rear wall 13, oi the casing, by means of the rivets 25. The bar 24; projects above the casing 10 and may carry a binding post 26 or other device to which a wire may be connected. A conductor 27 is connected with the bar 24, as shown in Fig. 4, and eX- tends through a recess 28 in the rear of the wall 13 and along the outer side of the wall 29 of the casing, to the opposite side, and has connected therewith a spring contact memV- ber 30, that is best shown in Fig. 6.

A terminal bar 31 is also arranged in a recess in the exterior of the rear wall of the casing and projects below the casing and may carry a binding pest 32 or other device for attaching a wire thereto. vA contact member 33 is arranged on the interior of the casing, adjacent the rear wall 13, and is connected with the bar 31 by the rivet 341- which extends through the wall 13. The Contact members 30 and 33 are so formed as to provide aligned spring seats 35, which are adapted to receive a length of fuse wire 36 and when this fuse wire is in position in the seats 35, the members 30 and 33 are electrically connected so as to complete the circuit from the terminal bar 211- to the terminal bar 31.

The cover 11 is provided with a rectangularopening 37 through which a magazine 38 may be inserted, this magazine being formed f of sheet metal, as shown in Fig. 5, and having an opening 39 in the bottom thereof, through which the fuses l() may be discharged. There is a recess 41, in the outer face of the cover l11, to give access to the tab 42 on the magazine 38. The magazine 38 is supported in suitable recesses, in the inner faces of the wall 13 and the cover 11,` and there are channels 43 to receive the ends of fuses it@ and guide them te pockets le in the periphery of the barrel 16. From Fig. 3 it will be noted that there are four sets of the pockets 111 and that the barrel 16 is hollowed out in the region of these pockets, as indicated at d5, the hollowed out portions 1-5 being separated by walls 11G.

From Fig. 3 it will be observed that the walls 46, that are horizontally disposed, cooperate with ribs 17 and 48 on the side walls of the casing 10, to divide the casing into upper and lower chambers 49 and 50, respectively. It will also be noted, that the magazine 38 is arranged in the upper chamber 19, whereas the contacts 35 are arranged in the lower chamber so that whenever the fuse 3 6, in the contacts is blown there is no chance for the heat or arc, that is developed, to reach the unused fuses 40. I

A shaft 51, extends across the chamber 50 and is journaled, at one end. in the wall 13, the other end of this shaft projecting through the cover l1 and carrying a pointer or signal device 52, adjacent the outer face of the cover. Near the middle of the chamber 50. the shaft. 51 has secured thereon a dog 53 of non-conductinnl i'naterial, the end of which normally engages with the fuse 36. in the contacts A spring 54 is arranged on the shaft 51 and exerts pressure on the dog 53 to swing the latter toward the right, in Fin: 3, the fuse 36 normally preventing this swinging movement.

On the outer face of the cover 11, I provide the words In and Out, or other suitable indicia, to cooperate with the pointer 52, to indicate the presence of the fuse 36 in the contacts 35, or the absence of a fuse therefrom. IVhen the don' 53 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the pointer 52 will be positioned as indicated in Fig. 2, to show that there is a fuse 36 in the contacts 35; When the fuse 3G is blown. the spring 541- will swing the dog 53 to the right and carry the pointer 52 into alignmentwith the word cOut so as to indicate that there is no fuse in the contacts 35.

The knob 19 is provided. on its face adjacent to the cover 11. with four ratchet teeth 55, with which a spring pawl 56 cooperates.

A shaft 57, extends across the chamber 49 and carriesy a plate 58 on which there is a weight 59, a tongue 6() on the outer end of the plate 58 engagingv with the uppermost fuse 10, in the magazine V38.y and serving to assist gravity in feeding the fuses downwardly to the barrel 16. The shaft 5T carries, adjacent the outer face of the cover 11,-

a pointer 61 which cooperates with series of index marks 62, on the cover 11. to indicatethe number of fuses remaining in the magazine 38.

As the parts are illustrated in the drawings, and particularly in Fig. 3, there is a fuse 36 in the contacts so that. the circuit through the fuse box is completed. If

the fuse B6 is blown, through ovcrloa din g the circuit, any nnmelted portions of the fuse 2G will drop to the bottom of the casing l() and may be subse uently removed through the opening (S3, wiich is normally closed by a cover plate 611.- that hingred on the screw G5. The pointer 52 will ne automatically positioned, as above described, to indicate that there is no fuse in the contacts such indi cation beine` of especial importance, where there are a number of adjacent fuse boxes, as means are thus provided for indicating' the particular circuit in which the fuse has been blown. To replace the blown Ytui-sc. the knob 19 is turned one-quarter of a revolntioi'i. the pawl 56 indicating the proper extent to which the knob should be turned and also prevent-ing backward rotation. This operation rotates the barrel 16. in the clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 3, and carries the next fuse into the contacts Just before reaching the contacts 35, the fuse will engage with the dog 53 and restore it to the position indicated in Fig. thereby automatically restoringl the pointer 52 to the position indicated in Fig. 2, to show that there is a fuse in the contacts From the 'foregoingit will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple device for accomplishing the purposes set forth and that it may be operated to reliablyv and conveniently and quickly replace a blown fuse.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Ink a device of the class described, a magazine for a plurality of fuses, a pair of fixed contacts. means for transferring fuses from said magazine to said contacts` and a signal device for automatically indicatingT the presence of a fuse in said contacts and the absence of a fuse therefrom.

2. In a' device of the class described. av magazine for a plurality of fuses, a pair ot fixed contacts, means for transferring fuses from said magazine to said contacts. a signal device cooperating with a fuse in said contacts and set by the fuse to indicate its presence therein, and means for automatically actuatinp; said device to indicate the absence ot a fuse from said contacts.

3. In a device of the class described. a magazine for a plurality7 of fuses. a pair ot contacts, vmeans for transferring fuses from said magazine to said contacts. a signal dcvice engaged by the fuse in its movement from said magazine to said contacts and set thereby to indicate'the presence of the his." in the contacts, and means for automatically actuating said device to indicate the absence of a fuse from said contacts.

4. In a device of the class described. a casing, a. movable member mounted in the casing and dividing the interior thereof into two chambers, a magazine for fuses arranged lli() in one of said chambers, said member being provided with means for transferring fuses from said magazine to the other of said chambers, and contacts in the `last-mentioned chamber into engagement with Which the fuses are carriedby said member.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, ak movable member mounted in the case ing and dividing` the interior thereof into tivo chambers,` a magazine for fuses arranged in one of said chambers, said member being provided with means for transferring fuses from said magazine to the other of said chambers, and spring contacts in the lastmentioned chamber into engagement with which the fuses are carried and forcibly held by said member.

6. In a device of the class described, a casing, a` movable member mounted in the casing and dividing the interior thereof into tivo chambers, a magazine for fuses arranged in one of said chambers, said member being provided with means for transferring fuses from said magazine to the other of said chan'ibers, and cont-acts in the last-mentioned chamber into engagement with which the fuses are carried by said member, and means for automatically indicating the presence of a fuse in or the absence of a fuse from said contacts.

'i'. In a device of the class described, a casing, a movable member mounted in the casing and dividing the interior thereof into tivo chambers, a magazine for fuses arranged in one of said chambers, said member being provided with means for transferring fuses from said magazine to the other of said chambers, and spring contacts in the lastmentioned chamber into engagement With which the fuses are carried and forcibly held by said. member, and means Jfor automatically indicating the presence of a fuse in or the absence ot a fuse from said contacts.

In a device of the class described, a casing, a rotatable member mounted in the casing and dividing the interior thereof into tivo chambers, a magazine for fuses arranged in one of said chambers, a pair of contacts in the other of said chambers, said member being provided with means for receiving the fuses from said magazine and carrying them into engagement with saidl contacts, a member mounted in the same chamber as said contacts and adapted to be engaged by the fuse as it moves into engagement with the contacts so as to be positioned by the fuse, spring means for moving the last-mentioned member to another position when released by the bloivingof a fuse in said contacts, and a signal device on the exterior of said casing operatively connected With the lastmentioned member and set thereby to indicate the presence of a fuse in said contacts or its absence therefrom.

9. In a device of the class described, a casing, a rotatable member mounted in the casing and dividing the interior' thereof into two chambers, a magazine for fuses arranged. in one of said chambers, a pair of contacts inthe other of said chambers, said member heilig provided with means for receiving the fuses from said magazine and carrying them into engagement with said contacts, a member mounted in the same chamber as said contacts and adapted to be engaged by the fuse as it moves into engagement with the contacts so as to be positioned by the fuse, s pring means for moving the last-mentioned member to another position when released by the blowing of a fuse in said contacts, a signal device operatively connected with the last-mentioned member and set thereby to indicate the presence of ak fuse in said contacts or its absence therefrom, and means on the exterior of said casing for rotating the tiret-mentioned member.`

l0. In a device of the class described, a casing, a rotatable member mounted in the asing and dividing the interior thereof into two chambers, a magazine for fuses arranged in one of said chambers, a pair of contacts in the other of said chambers, said member being provided with means for receiving the fuses from said magazine and carrying them into engagement With said contacts, a member mounted in the same chamber as said contacts and adapted to be engaged by the fuse as it moves into engagement with the contacts so as to be positioned by the fuse, spring mea-ns for moving the last-mentioned member to another position When released by the blowing of a fuse in said contacts, a signal device operatively connected With the last-mentioned member and set thereby to indicate the presence of a fuse in said contacts or its vabsence therefrom, means on the enV- terior of said casing for rotating the firstmentioned member, and a ratchet device Jtor determining the amount ot' rotation of the iirst-mentioned member and for preventing backward rotation thereof.

11. In a device ofthe class described, a casing, a rotatable member mounted in the casing and dividing the interior thereof into tivo chambers, there being an opening through the Wall of said casing, a magazine adapted to contain a plurality of fuses and so formed as to be adapted to be inserted through said opening, means for supporting `said magazine in one of said chambers, said magazine being formed with an opening in one side through which the fuses may be discharged into said rotatable member, a pair of contacts in the other of said chambers to which the fuses are transferred from said magazine by said member, and means for indicating the number of fuses in said magazine.

l2. In a device of the class described, a casing, arotatable member mounted in the Casing and dividing the interior thereof into two chambers, there being an opening through the Wall of said casing, a. magazine adapted to contain a plurality of fuses and so formed as to be adapted to be inserted through said opening, means for supporting said magazine in one of Said chambers, said magazine beingformed With an opening in one side through which the fuses may be l0 discharged into said rotatable member, a pair of contacts in the other of Said chambers to Which the fuses are transferred from said magazine by said member7 means for ndieating the number of fuses in said magazine, and means for indicating the presence of a fuse in said Contacts or the absence of a fuse therefrom,

In testimony whereof' l allix my signature.

LEE B. GREEN. 

